Automatic acting mechanism for control of stowable{40 tween decks

ABSTRACT

An improved arrangement for holding a stowable &#39;&#39;tween deck in service position. The &#39;&#39;tween deck is moveable between a substantially vertical stored position and a substantially horizontal service position. A guide path is provided at the side of the ship for guiding the &#39;&#39;tween deck for motion between its stored and service positions. The &#39;&#39;tween deck includes a trunnion member extending outwardly into the guide path from that portion of the &#39;&#39;tween deck which is lowermost when the &#39;&#39;tween deck is in its stored position. The improved holding arrangement according to the invention is located at the upper end of the guide path and includes a pocket formed by an enlargement of the guide path at the upper end thereof, a pawl member positioned between the pocket and the guide path. The pawl member pivotally mounted for motion between a first position blocking the pocket to guide the trunnion member in the guide path, and a second position blocking the guide path to guide the trunnion member from the top of the guide path into the pocket. A readjustment arm is coaxially mounted with the pawl member for pivotal movement in position between the pocket and the guide path between a first position in which a portion of the arm extends into the guide path and in which the arm is undisturbed by motion of the trunnion from the upper portion of the guide path to the pocket and a second position in which a portion of the arm extends into the pocket and in which the arm is undistrubed by motion of the trunnion in the guide path. The arrangement also includes means for releasably securing the readjustment arm in the first and second positions, and spring means connected to the readjustment arm and the pawl member for biassing the pawl member to its first position when the arm is in the first position and for biassing the pawl member to the second poisition when the arm is in the second position.

United States Patent [191 Ride [451 Oct. 16, 1973 AUTOMATIC ACTINGMECHANISM FOR CONTROL OF STOWABLE'TWEEN DECKS [75] Inventor: TorvaldEide, Notteroy, Norway [7 3] Assignee: Kal diie s h/Tek, Verk s ted A/ STonsberg, Norway [22] Filed: Nov. 8, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 196,613

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 6, 1970 Norway 4252/70 [52]U.S. Cl 114/72, 114/78, 114/85 [51] Int. Cl B63b 25/00 [58] Field ofSearch v. 114/72, 76, 78, 85; 105/370; 108/149, 152, 134; 292/DIG. 4

[56] 7 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,019,757 2/ 1962 Bailey.J'. .Z'.".Z..'114"/'72 Primary ExaminerMilton Buchler AssistantExaminer-Stuart M. Goldstein Attorney-Larson, Taylor and Hinds [57]ABSTRACT An improved arrangement for holding a stowable tween deck inservice position. The tween deck is moveable between a substantiallyvertical stored position and a substantially horizontal serviceposition. A guide path is provided at the side of the ship for guidingthe tween deck for motion between its stored and service positions. Thetween deck includes a trunnion member extending outwardly into the guidepath from that portion of the tween deck which is lowermost when thetween deck is in its stored position. The improved holding arrangementaccording to the invention is located at the upper end of the guide pathand includes a pocket formed by an enlargement of the guide path at theupper end thereof, a pawl member positioned between the pocket and theguide path. The pawl member pivotally mounted for motion between a firstposition blocking the pocket to guide the trunnion member intheguidepath, and a second position blocking the guide path to guide thetrunnion member from the top of the guide path into the pocket. Areadjustment arm is coaxially mounted with the pawl member for pivotalmovement in position between the pocket and the guide path between afirst position in which a portion of the arm extends into the guide pathand in which the arm is undisturbed by motion of the trunnion from theupper portion of the guide path to the pocket and a second position inwhich a portion of the arm extends into the pocket and in which the armis undistrubed by motion of the trunnion in the guide path. Thearrangement also includes means for releasably securingthe readjustmentarm in the first and second positions, and spring means connected to thereadjustment arm and the pawl member for biassing the pawl member to itsfirst position when the arm is in the first position and for biassingthe pawl member to the second poisition when the arm is in the secondposition.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures mu rminum 16 m1. 3.785.358

' SHEL'I 2 (if 2 AUTOMATIC ACTING MECHANISM FOR CONTROL OFSTOWABLE'TWEEN DECKS The invention relates to an automatic actingmechanism for control of suspended trunnions for stowable tween decks inshipload, said trunnions being transferable in guides, which tween decksmay be moved from a substanial vertical stowage position up to the sideof the ship, a bulk head or the like and to a horizontal serviceposition in that trunnions which are arranged at the lower resp. innerends of the decks, glide in guides being arranged along the side of theship or the like, and where there are arranged means at the upper endsof the guides, which grip the trunnions in the service position of thedecks.

Such tween decks are described in the Norwegian Patent No. 122,357. Anhydraulic controlled mechanism was arranged on the previously knowndecks of this type, by which the suspended trunnions of the tween deckscould be guided and gripped to and from 'the stowed and serviceposition. Such mechanisms are, however, complicated and expensive. It isthus the object of the invention to provide a mechanism for this purposewhich is purely mechanical and acts automatically without making use ofhydraulics or other externally supplied power.

According to the invention it is thus proposed an automatic actingmechanism of the above said kind which is characterized in that anextended section or a side pocket is arranged at the upper end of eachof the guides, into which the trunnion may be brought into a supportedsuspended position after having passed by a reversing pawl which isweightor spring loaded in such a way that it controls the trunnionautomatically from the guide to the said pocket in the lifting of thetween deck to service position, and that it likewise automaticallycontrols the trunnion from the pocket to the guide for lowering alongthis by the movement of the tween deck to vertical stowing position.

According to a preferred construction, the pawl is connected elasticallyto a readjustment-arm which protrudes into the guide and which by anoperating edge and notch-connection may occupy the one or the other oftwo positions in relation to a stationary suspension piece or the like.

For a better understanding of the invention it will be further describedin the following with reference to a constructional example on thedrawings.

FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of the automatic acting mechanismaccording to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a section along the line A-B in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the parts of the mechanism separated and in perspective.

FIG. 4 shows schematically how the mechanism works, according to theinvention.

On the drawings, F denotes the upper end of the guiding notch for one ofthe gliding trunnions G which sticks out to the side at the lower end ofa rigable tween deck. The guide F has, as will be seen, an extendedsection or a pocket L at the upper end, in which the trunnion G mayarrive at supporting suspension, as shown in FIG. 1.

However, in order to move from the guide F to suspended position in thepocket L, the trunnion G must pass the automatic acting mechanism,according to the invention.

This mechanism includes a pawl P which is pivotally suspended about atrunnion 1 stationary secured between the guide F and the pocket L. Thepawl may occupy the one or the other of the two positions, P resp. P".The first on is in FIG. 1 shown fully drawn, the other by dotted lines.The pawl P is spring loaded. This is done over a spring-arm 2 whose freeend e fits into a hole f in the pawl. The other end of the spring 2 issecured to a readjustment-arm or a readjustment piece 3, which ispivotally suspended on the trunnion l, and which is provided with a holeb for the other branch 2 of the spring. The spring has a screw shapedsection g between the two branches a and e.

The pawl P is carried in adittion to, the said trunnion 1, preferablyalso by a cup-bearing S shaped in connection with the guide F. Thestrong forces, impacts etc. which are present with this mechanism willthus not only be carried by the trunnion l but also by the cupbearing S.

The readjustable arm 3 is provided with an edge or a cam c. This isintended to interact with two notches d in a stationary suspension piece4.

The above described details appear most clearly from FIG. 3 related toFIG. 2.

When the parts are composed as shown in FIG. 2 the cam 0 will lie in oneof the notches d. By influence of the readjustable arm 3 the mutualposition between this and the suspension piece 4 may, however, bealtered against the influence of the screw-shaped part g of the spring2.

Viewing FIG. 1 and 4 it is immediately understood how the mechanismworks according to the invention. In FIG. 41 the position is indicatedwhere the tween decks D by its suspension-trunnion G rests in the pocketL, and thus gives support to the deck D in service position. When thedeck is to be moved to stowing position, it is lifted up by suitablemeans, e.g., by means of a crane or derrick, such that the trunnion Gmoves upwards as indicated in FIG. 4". The pawl is thus pushed aside asshown by P. When the trunnion G has arrived in top of the pocket L, thepawl will move back to initial position in I, as shown by III. When thedeck subsequently is lowered to stowing position, the trunnion will movedown through the guide F, since it then hits against the pawl and iscontrolled into the guide. During the passage of the described mechanismthe trunnion will however, hit the readjustable arm 3 and move the pawlover to the position P. The pawl will then retain this position untilthe trunnion at the next rigging moves upwards along the guide F inorder to pass the described mechanism in reversed order and move to restin the suspension pocket L.

As will be seen from FIG. 4, the movement of the trunnion G up from thepocket L to the top position in the pocket will effect the readjustablearm 3 in relation to the pawl P, i.e., that the cam c is transferredfrom the one to the other of the two notches d.

The desired mechanism is, as will be seen, acting fully automatic andpurely mechanical in its functioning. It gives a safe control of thesuspension trunnions of the tween decks to and from suspension positionin the supported pocket L. The mechanism consists of few and solid partsand is thus well suited for the intended object and can withoutdifficulites tolerate large forces, and stresses, which it is subjectedto due to rigging or stowing away of such heavy and large tween decks asspoken of here.

The mechanism according to the invention is here described in connectionwith stowable tween decks, but it will be appreciated that it may alsobe given another application, e.g., for hatchway covers or otherelements to be transferable from one level to another by means ofsuitable guides. Such applications are also considered covered by thefollowing claims.

We claim:

1. In a ship having a tween deck moveable between a substantiallyvertical stored position and a substantially horizontal serviceposition, guide means including a substantially vertical guide pathlocated at a side of the ship for guiding said tween deck for motionbetween said stored and service positions, holding means at the upperend of said guide path for supporting said tween deck in said serviceposition, and a trunnion member extending outwardly from the end of saidtween deck which is lowermost when in said stored position extendinginto said guide path, the improvement wherein said holding meanscomprises a pocket formed by an enlargement of said guide path at theupper end thereof, a pawl member positioned between said pocket and saidguide path and pivotally mounted for motion between a first positionblocking said pocket to guide said trunnion member in said guide path,and a second position blocking said guide path to guide said trunnionmember from the top of said guide path into said pocket, a readjustmentarm coaxially mounted with said pawl member for pivotal movement inposition between said pocket and said guide path between a firstposition in which a portion of said arm extends into said guide path andin which said arm is undisturbed by motion of said trunnion from theupper portion of said guide path to said pocket and a second position inwhich a portion of said arm extends into said pocket and in which saidarm is undisturbed by motion of said trunnion in said guide path, meansfor releasably securing said readjustment arm in said first and secondpositions, and spring means connected to said readjustment arm and saidpawl member for biassing said pawl member to its said first positionwhen said arm is in said first position and for biassing said pawlmember to said second position when said arm is in said second position.

2. An improved tween deck arrangement according to claim 1 wherein saidreleasable securing means comprises a member fixed with respect to saidguide path including first and second notches releasably engageable by acam on said readjustment arm.

1. In a ship having a ''tween deck moveable between a substantiallyvertical stored position and a substantially horizontal serviceposition, guide means including a substantially vertical guide pathlocated at a side of the ship for guiding said ''tween deck for motionbetween said stored and service positions, holding means at the upperend of said guide path for supporting said ''tween deck in said serviceposition, and a trunnion member extending outwardly from the end of said''tween deck which is lowermost when in said stored position extendinginto said guide path, the improvement wherein said holding meanscomprises a pocket formed by an enlargement of said guide path at theupper end thereof, a pawl member positioned between said pocket and saidguide path and pivotally mounted for motion between a first positionblocking said pocket to guide said trunnion member in said guide path,and a second position blocking said guide path to guide said trunnionmember from the top of said guide path into said pocket, a readjustmentarm coaxially mounted with said pawl member for pivotal movement inposition between said pocket and said guide path between a firstposition in which a portion of said arm extends into said guide path andin which said arm is undisturbed by motion of said trunnion from theupper portion of said guide path to said pocket and a second position inwhich a portion of said arm extends into said pocket and in which saidarm is undisturbed by motion of said trunnion in said guide path, meansfor releasably securing said readjustment arm in said first and secondpositions, and spring means connected to said readjustment arm and saidpawl member for biassing said pawl member to its said first positionwhen said arm is in said first position and for biassing said pawlmember to said second position when said arm is in said second position.2. An improved ''tween deck arrangement according to claim 1 whereinsaid releasable securing means comprises a member fixed with respect tosaid guide path including first and second notches releasably engageableby a cam on said readjustment arm.